Inhaler.



No. 853,431. PATENT'ED MAY 14, 1907.

A. B. ALLEN.

INHALER.

APPLIOATION FILED ODT.12, 1903..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED MAY 14, 1907.

A. B. ALLEN.

INHALER.

APPLIOATION FILED 0032.12. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

ALBERT s. ALLEN, or errrcaeo, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ALBERTO. CLARK,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INHALER.

To all whom it may concern:.

Be it known that I, ALBERT B. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Inhalers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,'and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in nasal inhalers of that class used for the administration of anesthetics and is shown more particularly embodied in a form adapted for the use of dentists, surgeons and others who are required to operate upon the mouth and teeth or throat.

Heretofore' in the inhalers of the class described the mechanism conducting the vapor to the nostrils more or less covers the upper 1i and portions of the mouth, rendering it difficult to perform surgical operations thereer teeth.

on or dental operations on the up Furthermore with most of the iuha ers of the class described the bag containing the inhalent is usually supported at the side of the face and in man instances is in the way of the operator. In t ecase of a'dental o eration the bag is sometimes so com resser by the arm of the dentist as to cut 0 the supply of the inhalent.

The object of this invention is to provide a nasal inhaler so constructed as to be readily sterilized, to permit the greatest freedom of access to the mouth, throat or teeth of the patient by the operator, and, to. provide a construction in which the inlialent is protected from dilution by mixture with atmospheric or the respired air. The inhaler is adapted to retain its operative position independent of any movement of the (patient enabling operations to be conducte as readily as in those in which anesthetics are not required.

The inventionembraces many novel features and consists in the matters hereinafter described and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawin s: Figure 1 is a View illustrating the app ication of an inhaler embodyin my invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged verticaf section through one of the nasal tubes and the respiratory valve. Fig. 3 is an Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed 0mm 12,1903. Serial No. 176,657.

Patented ma 14, 1907.

enl'ar ed central vertical section. Fig. 4 is an en arged vertical section of a slightly modified form of my invention illustrating its application and use. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the main ipe. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detai of one of the nasal terminals or nozzles. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of one of the nasal or inhalent tube illustratingthe flexible connection thereof with the body of the inhaler.

In said drawings :'A indicates a flexible tube of rubber or other suitable material shaped to fit transversely across the face just above the eyes and provided on each end 1 V with a cap a affording a ti ht closure therefor on which is secured a 00p a which affords means for attachment with the rubber or other elastic band a adaptedto be passed around the head of the patient andwhich binds the inhaler in position. Secured in one side of said tube A intermediate its ends, and a distance apart sufficient to permit the same to lie along each side of the nose of the patient, are downwardly extending substantially parallel tubes BB of metal, hard rubber or other suitable material which are screw threaded at their upper ends and provided with a peripheral flange 1) below the threads which engages against the outer side of' said .tube so that when the nut b is secured on the threaded inner end of said tube said flange and walls of said tube and afford a tight joint nut positively engage the though permitting said tubes to be turned slightly for purposes of rotarial adjustment. At their lower ends said tubes are provided with a somewhat abrupt inward and upwardturn which extends immediately beneath and upwardly into the nostrils of the patient. Said upturned ends are each threaded to afford engagement with a nozzle B which fits fords a closure therefor permitting inhalation only through said tubes B As shown in Fi s. 2, 4 and 6 said tips or nozzles for said tu es B may be made of metal or other rigid material or of soft rubber or other resilient therefrom, serves as a valve to completely closely in the nares of the patient and'afent plate or diaphragm c anesthetic supply pipe 1) h A centrally fitting or n1 ple (2 close the nares to prevent inhalation of atmospheric air. Should the nozzles be of hard or rigid material as shown in Fig. 2 the same are provided with a peripheral groove near the. base in which is secured a disk of dam rubber or'other resilient and impervious material. Opening outwardly from said tube A on the upper side thereof, are valves 0 each of which is positioned closely adjacent to the inner end of one of said tubes B. Each of said valves coi'npriscs an apertured shell orcage 1: adapted to be secured in said tube and. provided at its inner end with an inwardly directed flange 0 below the apertures which afl'ords a bearing for a thin resiliof mica or other suitable material which falls with each inspiration upon said flange tightly closing the valve and preventing admixture of atmospheric air with the inspiration. The expiretion raises said diaphragms sufliciently to permit the respired air to pass freely therethrou h; Secured centrally at the upper side 0? said tube A and opening thereinto is a nipple D adapted for engagement with the connected in a gas bag (1 of any 1nd or construction, adapted to afford a supply of the inhalent to the patient. In inhaling devices of this class ordinarily used, no provision is made to prevent admixture of expired air contaminated with organic matter from mixing with and diluting the inhalent gas contained insaid bag d. For the purpose of preventing such admixture a perforated plate is provided transversely in said 'pples D affording an integral diaphragm cent the inhaler or tube A is attached a thin flexible diaphragm of resilient material such as dam rubber or the like which acts to'permit free flow of the inhalent from the bag into the inhaler but immediately closes the passing to said gas bag should the pressure therein be such as otherwise to permit the same.

In the constructionshown in Fig. 4, the

as bag d is suspended from the supply pipe 5 at apoint below the head. In this arrangement the pipe D is made of any desired length and provided at its extremity with a screw threaded at its outer end which as threaded engagement in the complementally threaded end of a casing D flanged at its opposite end to engage the tube affording a flexible connection therewith. Extending transversely across the casing D is a diaphragm wall D similar in all respects with the diaphragm wall D and likewise provided on its inner side with a resilient im ervious sheet d which admits the gas free y through said valve but pres vents exhaled air passing into the bag.

which on the side adja ner ends are swiveled to The operation is as followsz-ln usethe pipe'A rests transversely on the forehead close above the eyes and is bound in position by means of the bands (1, which pass around the head of the patient. he inhalation pipes B-B extend downwardl on said side of t 1e lower ends thereof inwardly and upwardly within the lit closely with the resilient against and completely closing the same. The gas bag'being now-connected and supplied with the inhalent, inspiration closes the valves 0 and draws the as through the valve in the supply pipe free y, also drawing the resilient flange b inwardly completely excluding atmospheri air from the nares. Expiration produces the o posite results, closing the valve in the supp y pipe, opening the valves 0 and also in some cases permitting a partof the exhaled air to pass directly outward past the flanges 6 Oh of any desired material suitable to ready sterilization. Conveniently the pipe A may be of flexible rubber and the inhalation pipes B of hard rubber or of metal, their connection with the rubber pipe A aflording suflicient resiliency to permit ready adjustment. If preferred, howeventhe pipe A and inhalation pipes B may all be of either metal or other rigid material in which event a flanged washer b of rubber or other yielding mate rial is secured on the end of the pipes B and forced into suitable apertures in the pipe A, affording a flexible joint adapted to permit ready adjustment.

bviously many details of construction may be varied without departing from the principles of this invention.

I do not claim broadly the idea of the separate in haling tubes communicating with a casing or receptacle or with a source ofsupply of inhalent, as the same is the invention of Albert C. Clark and made the subject of the latters application for patent for improvement in inhalers filed October 14, 1903, Serial Number 176,952.

I claim as my invention 1. A nasal inhaler comprising a .flexible casing and a pain of rigid inhaling tubes having swiveling connectiontherewith and adiipted to be inserted in the patients nos tri s.

2. A nasal inhaler com rising a flexible casing, and a pair of inha 'ng tubes which have at one end adjustable connections with the casing and whose other ends are adapted to'he inserted in the patients nostriis.

3. A nasal inhaler comprising a flexible casing and a pair of inhaling tubes, whose inthe casing.

I. A nasal inhaler comprising a casing, a pair ofinhaling tubes swiveledthereto at their inner ends, and an exhalation valve arviously the inhaler may be constructed ran ed in the casing adjacent the inner ends of t e tubes.

'5. A nasal inhaler comprising a casing formed of flexible material, a pair of rigid inhaling tubes having swiveling connection therewith at their inner ends, and an exhalatacle and adapted to lie close on each side the nose and shaped at their end to extend into and fit. the nares, means adapted to secure the device to the head and an outwardly opening valve in the receptacle.

7. A nasal inhaler comprising inhaler pipes adapted to extend into and fit the nares and extending inwardly along the nose, a valved receptacle supported on the forehead and to which said pipes are swivelly connected and with which they communicate, and a valved supply pipe connected to the receptacle and extending over the head.

8. A nasal inhaler comprising a reservoir, rigid inhaler pipes connected thereto and adapted to lie on each side of the nose and bent to extend beneath and upwardly therein, a nozzle on each of said pipes adapted to loosely fit the nares and a resilient flange at the base of each affording a valve to close the nasal orifices during inspiration while permitting free expiration therefrom. 1

9. A nasal inhaler comprising a reservoir or receptacle, means adapted to secure the same upon the forehead, pipes flexibly connected in said receptacle and adapted to lie on each side of the nose and shaped to extend into the nares, nozzles on the pipes acting to exclude atmospheric air during inspiration, a source of inhalent supply connected in said receptacle, an inwardly opening valve in said connections, an outwardly opening valve in said receptacle ad'acent the-ends of the inhaler ipes where y free expiration is permitted without dilution or contamination of the inhalent fluid.

1.0. A nasal inhaler comprising a relativel large pipe bent to fit across the forehea straps, secured thereon adapted to secure the same to the. head, i'nhaler pi es flexibly connected in said pipe and exten ing downwardly on each side of and in close relation with the nose and beneath the wings thereof and into the nares, means thereon adapted to close the nares to the admission of atmospheric air,

outwardly opening'valves in said pipe adapt ed to permit free expiration, a supply pipe connected in said pipe, a valve opening there- 1 from to admit the inhalent fluid to the inhaler, and. a gas bag supported on said supfply pipe and positioned. to be out of the way 0 an operator.

11'. An inhaler comprising a closed receptacle of soft rubber shaped to fit the forehead, attaching bands thereon adapted to bind the same to the head, inhaler pipes flexibly connected in said receptacle and positioned to extend closely beneath and into the nares,

means thereon preventing inspiration of atmospheric air,-outwardly opening valves in said receptacle, a supply pipe extending over the head of the wearer and connected to a gas bag, a valve opening into said inhaler from said supply pipe and acting to prevent contamination of the inhalent during expiration, the connection between said receptacle and inhaler pipes being such as to afford relative freedom of movement for purposes of adjustment.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT B. ALLEY.

Vi tnesses ALFRED" O. ODELL, C. W. HILLs. 

